Harvester



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

W. N. WHITELEY.

HARVESTER.

Patented Jan. 17,1882.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. N. WHITELBY.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. N. WHITELEY.

HARVESTER.

Patented Jan. 17,1882.

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N PETERS. Pwmumnpw. wmmgxm., D. c.

Nrrnn STATES v.WENT Ormea.

VILLIAM N. VIIITELEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,561, dated January 1'7, 1882.

Application tiled Septembe 1G, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, ofSpringeld, in the county ofClarke and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a l'ull and clear description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of reapingmachines known as harvesters, and it consists in a novel appliance for maintaining a practically uniform tension on the aprons or belts, whereby the cut grain is carried across the machine and elevated to the binder or delivered to the ground. The endless aprons or conveyers are constructed of stout duck or canvas with the ends laced together fastened with straps or otherwise secured, so that the,

belts may be loosened or tightened. These belts pass over rollers at the ends of the harvester-frames, and, as is well known, canvas is very sensitive to hygrometric changes in the atmosphere, shrinking up in damp weather and stretchingoutagain in dr'y weather. These changes will sometimes be so great within the space of a few hours as tomake several adjust ments of the apron necessary.

I am aware that it is common in machinery where belts are employed to use spring and other automatic tighteningdevices, sometimes applied to the roller or pulley7 and sometimes to the belt itself; but so far as I am aware the method of mounting said boxes when applied to harvesters has been too fragile and liable to derangement from exposed position; and the object ot' my invention is to obviate these practical defects.

My invention consists in an independentroller-frame made in two parts, movable as to each other, which are secured within and to the main frame of the harvester. One of said parts. is rigidly secured, and the other is attached so that it may move longitudinally, and said parts haveinterposed between them suitable springs, so that a proper tension may be maintained on the apron or belt with the operating mechanism located between and covered and protected by said apron or belt.

That others may fully understand my invention I will particularly describe it, having reference t0 the accompanying drawings, where- 1I1== Figure l is a perspective view of my invention in working position, portions of the apparatus and the surrounding frame being removed for the better exhibition of the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective ot' the apron and its rollersdetached. Fig.3 represents the same in plan and edge elevation. Fi g4 represents the details detached.

A is a iinger-bar, and B O are front and rear girts of the harvester-frame. These are framed or secured together in the usual and proper way, with end pieces, tvc., to constitute the harvester-frame.

D D and E E are the parts of the apronframe havingthe apron-rollers F G. The parts D E are secured within the frame B O, the part D being rigidly secured by the bolts d d, and the part Eis attached by screws c c, which vpass through slots g g, so as to be movable longitudinally, and between said parts'the spring H is placed between the metallic angle-irons I l, and is supported laterally by the bolt J, which passes through one or both of said angle-irons freely.

U is the endless apron stretched over rollers F G.

To prevent the excessive enlargement of the slots g g by the screws c, which pass through them, I place upon said screws thimbles h, which serve as friction-rollers within the slots.

` The parts E E are supplied withone or more cross-bars, K L, from bar L. Back braces, m m, may extend to the partsE E to strengthen the angles. The harvester-frame B O is also supplied with a cross-bar, N, which is placed in the plane ofthe bar L by passing through slots or notches in the side pieces, E E, as sh'own in Figs. l and 3. rlhe angle irons or clips I I are placed on the bars L N, respectively, and the bolt J and spring H are interposed.

By this structure the working parts are protected, and there is no waste space within the harvester-frame to provide room for the rollersprings outside of the rollers. The requisite lengtlrcan also be obtained for slides, 4Src.,

without enlarging the exterior dimensions of ICO for elevatorlbelts have been included in other and separate specifications carved out of this l one, for which separate applications for Letends of the apron-frame, combined with an automatic yielding mechanism to vary the distance between said rollers, all placed between said rollers and covered and concealed by the said apron, as set forth.

3. The frame composed of parts D and E, the former rigidly and the latter movably fixed in the harvester-frame B(J,combined with the crossbar L on the movable frame, and thc rigid crossbar N, and the interposed spring, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM N. WIIITELEY.

Wil nesses:

' PERCY NORTON,

E. H. BARNES. 

